Ekitiké was curiously assigned the No. 44 shirt after signing for PSG, indicating his minor significance, although he did enjoy run-outs with 9 and 15 in pre-season. His forgettable spell in Paris was ...

This list focuses exclusively on true central midfielders – those who typically operate in the No. 8 role or as balanced, box-to-box players. These are the players who connect defence and attack, ...